Alchemyst
by ButterflyMiko
Summary: Ed and Al passed through the gate and found themselves in another world, trapped in a blizzard. They were found by a miko who nursed Ed's frostbite wounds. They then found out that they weren't the only things that had crossed the gate, and they might have the chance to save a few lives.
1. Demonic Alchemyst

Two doors.

Blackness and shadow.

Laughter.

"You know why you are here, don't you, little miko." The Truth said.

Kuri stepped across the darkness. With one step the scenery changed. There was a big beautiful tree in the clearing of a forest.

"Take a guess." The Truth continued.

"I failed. She's really dead. Magic couldn't save her. Angels couldn't save her. Demons couldn't save her. Even Death couldn't..." Kuri broke down in tears and then straightened up, pointing a finger at the Deity. "YOU! You are one of Them. One of the Elders. So tell me, Truth. Why, if you plague me by making me see everyone's death, making me see every future, did you withhold this from me! Why was there no warning?! Why couldn't I stop it?!"

"You are nothing more than a fool." Truth said, walking to the second door. "And now look. You have endangered your world beyond repair. For what will you do, I wonder...with two inside you, when no human is meant to have more than one?!"

Xxx

Kuri woke screaming again.

Snow was pounding on the roof. In a soft way. The wind howled against the large house.

No. That pounding wasn't snow. There was someone at the door.

"Ugh...Reiko get the door." Kuri said.

A fox got out from under the covers, made a noise, and stormed off into the living room and curled up by the fire.

"Cmon sis don't be a jerk." Kuri said.

Silence.

"Fine." Kuri went to the door and peeked through the viewfinder.

Two men stood there, and they were shivering. The one on the left seemed to possess an arm and a leg of outdated metal prosthetics.

Kuri wondered, but then realized that there was no way that she could turn them away. She was, after all, bound by Wiccan law to help people. And these people looked like they were on the run from something far nastier than the blizzard.

Kuri opened the door, aiming a sacred arrow at the elder of the two.

"State your name and your business." Kuri said.

"E-Edward and A-Alphonse Elric." He stammered out, blonde hair whipping into his mouth. She noted that his arm and leg had the beginnings of frostbite. She started to lower her weapon, but his next words condemned him. "We are alchemists."

Oh hell. Kuri thought. Not another demon


	2. Stylish

Kuri brandished her weapon, ready to fire.

"W-Wait please! D-Don't kill us!" Alphonse said.

"You are alchemists. Alchemy is a lower level demonic power." Kuri recited. "My job is to destroy demons like you."

"They aren't demons. They are human." Reiko was standing there, shivering, long red hair tangled up.

"So...no smell of the Makai on them?" Kuri said.

"No, not even a whiff." Reiko said.

"I-I..." Ed stammered, then fell forward.

Alphonse caught him. "Brother!"

"Quick get him into bed!" Kuri said. "Rei bring me some hot cloths!"

Ed lay limp on the bed. A look of pain crossed his face as he clung to the sheets in anguish.

Kuri took off his automail, all off it, the whole shoulder even, until all that was left was his stumps, blackened by frostbite.

"What are you going to do?" Alphonse said worriedly.

"We're going to make him better." Reiko assured him, placing her hands over his frosbitten body. Her hands glowed gold and the frostbite receded and healed.

Kuri adjusted his automail and reattached it. "No more blizzards for you."

Ed's eyes slowly opened. "You. The miko who attacked us. Why did you save me?"

"Because you're human." Kuri said. "And Reiko saved you."

Reiko blushed. "I'm gonna go make lunch."

"I'll come with you!" Alphonse said.

"Al!" Ed said. "Huh...weird."

"Oh calm down. He likes her." Kuri said. "Besides that, are you really an alchemist?"

"For sure." Ed said, transmuting the bed into a race car style.

Kuri laughed. "I like your style."

Ed was shocked. No one had ever liked his style before.

"I should have been more open. One of the laws of magic is that powers are not inherently good or bad; it all depends on the user." Kuri said.

"So here in this world there is magic, and it has laws like alchemy." Ed said.

"My theory is that the alchemy you had in your world translated into magic here. I'll explain further tomorrow but tonight Ed you need to rest. You've been through quite an ordeal." Kuri kissed him on the forehead, switched on the electric blanket, and turned off the light, leaving Ed to contemplate whether he would ever see Amestris again.


	3. Explanations

You said you'd explain further." Ed said. "So explain."

"Well I guess it's easiest to tell you the story my Grams told me when I was small." Kuri said. "The origin of magic."

"Can we listen in?" Al said.

"Yes I love this story." Reiko said.

"Sure," Kuri said. "So it's like this. When earth was new, there was something called the All, the source of Magic, and it existed within the Earth. No human could access it, so everyone was mortal. No magic. Then one day a woman—"

"Her name was Neena." Reiko said.

"Yes Neena, mother of all witches, found the All and shared it with her mate. Together they ascended to the Upper Realm and dwelt there happily." Kuri said.

"Then they had kids." Reiko said.

"That's right, a boy and a girl. The boy chose bad magic and fathered the line of evil. The girl chose good magic and mothered the line of good. They had other children as well, but none of them were as strong and were only practitioners, able to do spells and little else." Kuri said.

"What's the difference?" Al said.

"An active power witch is descended from the original line. They have an active power, like telekinesis or molecular combustion. A practitioner can only use magic with a medium, like a spell or potion. They need a crutch." Kuri said.

"It's like the difference between an alchemist who's seen the truth and just claps their hands, and a regular alchemist who needs a circle, Al." Ed said.

"Anyway. Each person who bears magic has a piece of the All within them." Kuri said. "My theory is that you two have one as well."

"So you think the Gate...is the All...?" Ed said.

"From what you've described to me that's right." Kuri said.

Just then the phone rang. Kuri answered.

"Hello? Oh? Yes he's here." Kuri said and handed the phone to Ed. "For you. Someone named Colonel Roy Mustang."

Ed was surprised. "Hello?"

"Edward Elric, right? Why the hell are you making me look bad?! You're due in Washington for your Alchemy Exam tomorrow! Where are you, idiot?!"


	4. CNN

Sis you need to see this!" Rei called from the other room.

Kuri headed into the other room, sipping her sweet tea. "What's so interesting? Huh. Are you watching CNN?"

"Yeah! Shh..." Al said.

"In case you are just joining us, I'm Gracia Hughes in from Washington. The president has been shot. His Vice President was also assassinated in an astounding turn of events. The murderer has been not been confirmed, and the motives are unclear. However the president named his replacement in his final wishes as King Bradley, decorated war veteran and known White House correspondent. He is now going to address the nation, as our future leader." Gracia stopped to wipe her eyes.

"That...that can't be..." Ed said. "Turn it up! I want to hear this!"

"These are trying times, for our country and nation. But the United States of America has always been known as a beacon of light even in troubled times. Though we face many obstacles, and this assassination was clearly the work of a foreign enemy, and we may yet again be facing war, I want you to know that I believe in this nation, that we will rise up and fight for our freedom. We are united against those who would threaten us! We will take that fear and make it a battle cry!" President Bradley said.

Ed shut it off. "They are going to do it again! All over again!"

"Well we aren't going to let them Brother!" Al said.

"Then I guess I'll just have to become the Fullmetal Alchemist again." Ed said.

"Wait a second." Kuri said. "I don't know what you're blathering about, but this is my home. My world. Let me tell you something, in this family, we don't run from a fight, and this isn't the first time someone's threatened us. I'm sorry, with all that was happening, we weren't properly introduced. Not everyone's here, to be sure, but, hey sis, it's your turn to say it."

"We're the Omamori." Rei said.


	5. Omamori

"What are the Omamori?" Al said.

"We are priestesses. There are quite a few of us. Four sisters, two cousins. We all share the name Omamori. Together we protect innocent people, we're on the side of Good." Kuri said.

"So can you do alchemy?" Al said.

"Of course they can't." Ed said.

"Alchemy is probably like an active power." Reiko said.

"She's right. It probably follows different rules here." Ed said.

"You'll just have to learn the Wiccan Rede then." Kuri said. "The main rule is to never use your powers for personal gain."

"You can't help yourself? So if you have healing powers..." Al said.

"You can't heal yourself." Reiko said.

"So it sounds like your powers are being granted to you by someone else." Ed said.

"That would be the Elders. They are sort of like our bosses." Kuri said. "They are like angels I suppose, but they don't intervene directly. Masters of fate and whim."

"Jerks. They don't really care." Rei said.

"Tell me what happens next in your life. You sound like you've lived this before. If you have, the way this goes is that there must be something we're meant to stop." Kuri said.

"Nina!" Ed and Al said.


End file.
